On average, social workers at City hospitals assist over 2,500 domestic violence victims each year. Research shows that more than one-third of all women who sought care in hospital emergency rooms for violence-related injuries were injured by an intimate partner.

Project H.E.A.L. (Hospital Emergency Assistance Link)
Project H.E.A.L. is a comprehensive plan to improve the services provided to domestic violence victims at all 11 City public hospitals. It enhances the ability of City hospitals to identify victims, document their injuries, and connect them with social and legal services.

Newly designed screening protocols will assist healthcare providers in identifying these victims. In addition to emergency care, healthcare providers are capable of detecting domestic violence in its earliest stages in thousands of people who visit primary care doctors and specialists for routine visits.

Prevention Efforts with Young Parents
North Central Bronx Hospital, in collaboration with the Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, has developed a model pilot program to help prevent domestic violence and child abuse. Separate parenting classes for young mothers and fathers have been held in the hospital in the participants' primary language. The classes cover topics such as healthy relationships, the effects of abuse on children, well-baby information, and parenting skills.

Best Practices Manual for Healthcare Providers
The Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence developed and distributed a best practices manual, Medical Providers' Guide to Managing the Care of Domestic Violence Patients Within a Cultural Context, for healthcare providers on the assessment and treatment of domestic violence victims in diverse populations. The manual has been distributed Citywide to over 2,500 healthcare providers.

Clinician Guide for Identifying, Treating, and Preventing Family Violence
In 2002, the Health and Hospital Corporation consolidated existing family violence policies in the Clinician Guide for Identifying, Treating, and Preventing Family Violence. It serves as a practical reference for preventing, identifying, treating, and managing family violence in the community. The guide also provides information on the latest developments in treatment, prevention, research, and expert advice on family violence.

Take Care New York
On March 24, 2004, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced their "Take Care New York" policy which addresses the key preventable causes of illness and death in New York City. The policy outlines 10 steps for New Yorkers to take in order live a longer and healthier life, including having a home free of domestic violence.